G600: Gulfstream's latest private jet can travel 12000km at near the speed of sound. Photo / Supplied
G600: Gulfstream's latest private jet can travel 12000km at near the speed of sound. Photo / Supplied
Time, they say, is money and for a mere US$56 million (NZ$83 million) you can now buy back hours of time spent in the air with your own near-supersonic jet.
The G600 is Gulfstream's latest manoeuvre to get the ultra-rich where they're going ultra-quickly.
Travelling at Mach 0.925 - orjust under the speed of sound - the luxury private jet is one of the fastest to be certified by the US Federal Aviation Authority.
And wherever your heading to in a hurry, there's room for up to 19 passengers taking journeys of over 12,000km. That's the equivalent of Auckland to Seattle, or Queenstown to Mumbai in a single trip.
Designed by Gulfstream Aerospace the aircraft is an improvement on the older G500 and G650 Extended Range models favoured by oil tycoons, Saudi royals and the super-rich.
Cruising at an altitude of 15,545 metres offering views through its 14 71-centimetre windows, you might feel the ride is over too quickly.
Quiet luxury: Passengers can converse normally even travelling at the speed of sound. Photo / Supplied
The interior is designed to be as tranquil as possible. At maximum altitude the pressurised cabin is flushed with fresh air every two minutes to combat jet lag.
And, according to the Gulfstream website, the "cabin is so quiet passengers can converse at normal voice levels even while in flight at near the speed of sound."
The luxury spreads from the cabin to the cockpit, with touch screens and tactile pilot controls.
Positive feedback: The cockpit is one of the first civilian aircraft to feature 'active sidestick technology'. Photo / Supplied
In a first for civilian air transport the 'active sidestick technology' allows pilots to 'feel' the flight conditions.
On the plane's handling. "This provides good situational awareness between the pilots — they can both see and feel their sidesticks moving," said BAE Systems director Adam Taylor told Aviation Week.
Don't expect to be getting your private jet in a hurry though.
The current waiting period is two-and-a-half years for delivery, and there is likely to be a big demand. Well, as a big a demand as there can be for a $100 million plane. It's clearly not for everyone.
The G600 is the latest near-super sonic private jet by the manufacturer Gulfstream. Photo / Supplied
Gulfstream are the most popular make of private jet in the market, accounting for just over half the wings belonging to the 1-per-cent.
The G600: The world's fastest private jet, in a hurry
Max Range: 12,038 km or roughly, Auckland to Seattle Speed: Mach 0.925 or 1111km per hour Length: 29.29 m Span: 28.70 m Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney PW815GA Passengers: Up to 19 with room to sleep 9 Max load on takeoff: 42,910 kg
